Apparatus for scoring ice



April 2, 1929. B. L. FAIN ET AL 1,707,801

APPARATUS FOR SCORING ICE Filed July 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aprilz, 1929. B. L. FAIN fr Al. 1,107,801

APPARATUS FOR SCORING ICE ZN VEN 7"4 O E5 Bran-e Fa/n,

/Qvfc zen/E145 Patented Apr. 2,` 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFF-ICE.

BRACE L. FAIN, oF cARRoLLToN, ILLINoIs, am)l WILLIAM D. cIzowELL, or sT. LoUIs,

MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR SCORING ICE.

This invention relates to apparatus of the kind that is used in ice plants for scoring large cakes or blocks of ice so as to facilitate dividing the ice cakes into smaller pieces, each of a definite weight and size. The conventional ice scoring apparatus is expensive to build and to operate, as it comprises saws for forming scores or grooves in the cakes of ice, andV electrically-operated devices for driving the saws.

The main object of our invention is to overcome the necessity of using expensive machinery in the operation of scoring ice.

To this end we have .devised a novel appatus for scoring cakes of ice, that comprises one or more heated scoring devices, preferably a device of gradually increasing depth or height, and means for presenting cakes of ice to said devices and causing said cakes to travel longitudinally of said devices, thereby causing grooves to be formed in said cakes, due to the melting of the ice. The scoring devices may vary in number and they can be constructed and arranged in various Ways without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Figure 1 of the draWinOs is a vertical longitudinall sectional view o? structed in accordance with our invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of said apparatus.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of said apparatus.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 4 4.. of Figure 3; and

Figucrs 5 and 6 are enlarged cross-sectional views, illustrating two different Ways of' constructing the scoring devices of the apparatus. i

In thc machine herein shown, which represents the preferred form of our invention, two groups of scoring devices are arranged in opposed relation so as to'form scores or grooves in two of the opposed faces of the r cakes of ice, for example, the top and bottom faces of said cakes, and the scoring devices constituting each of said groups are arrangedA in parallel relation. The cakes of ice :n are moved longitudinally of sai-d devices either by gravity or by a suitable feeding mechanism, and while traveling over said devices become scored or grooved, due to the ice melting where it contacts with the devices A. One convenient way of heating the scoring devices A is to circulate hot water through an apparatus con-Y tubes'B with which the scoring devices are combined, but any other suitable heating medium may be used, such as steam, hot gases or electric current. As shown in Figure 5,

each of the scoring devices C may consist of a metal blade set in a slotl in a tube or other hollow structure B and bined'with same by a welding, brazing, soldering, or, in any other suitable way, the blade extending longitudinally of the tube and projecting from the exterior of the same a distance yequal to the depth of the scoring or slot it is desired to form in the ice. Due to permanently com- Y the fact that the portion of the blade A that is arranged inside of the tube B is in direct contact with the heating medium in said tube, the portion of the blade that contacts with the ice will be maintained at a vsufficiently high temperature to cause the ice to melt rapidly, or, in other words, to insure the scoring device A sinking into the ice while the ice cake a: is moving longitudinally of said scoring device. Instead of forming the scoring device from a blade separate and distinct from the tube or conduit that contains the heating medium or through which the heating medium circulates, the scoring device may consist of an integral portion A of a tubular member B that contains vthe heating medium, as shown in Figure 6. The scoring devices A preferably increase gradually in depth from the point where said cakes move out of engagement With said devices, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, so as to cause the scoring devices to sink gradually into the ice or form the scores progressively. While we have stated that the ice cakes are preferably moved relatively tothe scoringA devices during the scoring operation, we wish it to be understood that our broad idea contemplates moving the scoring devices relatively to the ice on which said scoring devices are acting.

In order to prevent the Weight of the cakes yof ice from being imposed on the heating tubes B that are combinedwith the group of scoring devices A that act on' the bottom face of said cakes, rails'C are provided for the ice vcakes to travel on during the scoring'operation, said rails being arranged parallel to the scoring devices between the same, as shown in Figure 2. Similar rails C are also preferably combined With the top group of scoring devices, as shown in Figure 4, so as to cooperate With the bottom rails to form a runway for the cakes of ice Vwhich corresponds in depthto thethickness of said cakes. l/Vhen hot water, hot gases, steam or a similar medium is used to heat the scoring devices A,

it is preferable toV attachptlie tubes B com;

`bine'd with each group of scoring devices to'l an intake header D and a discharge header D, as shown in Figures 1, 2 a'nd3.

In the machine herein illustrated the rails C and C between Which-thecakes of; ice travel during the scoring operation are arranged. in an inclined position betweena re-` ceiving plattormE andi a discharge platform F, as shown iny Figurel, sothat gravity may be used to nieve theice cakes,- longitudinally;

voi the v scoring devices..V Accordingly, it is preferableto equip the machine with some kind4 oi a means that will insure the cakes ot ice being presented to the scoring devices in an orderly manner. The means that we have herein illustrated for this purpose consists ot endless sprocket chains G surrounding sprocket wheels G thatl are connected to shafts G2, said chains being provided with arms or projections G3 thatmove into engagement with the front end oi the ice cakes as saidy cakes leave the discharge platform, and thus effectively prevent said ice cakes from assuminga crooked position or from becoming disposed atan angle to the rails C down which .said cakes are traveling to the scoring d`e.

vices, said armsor projections G.3 moving automatically out of engagement with the cakes alter Said cakes start totravel over the scoring devices.,

The machine can be provided-with any suitable kind of a, frame, designated as,V an entirety by the reference character H, for supportingthevarious elements previously described, and it desired, side guides can be arranged between. the receiving.platform Eand the vpoint at which-the ice cakes first Contact with'the scoring devices,.soi as tov insure said cakes Dessine Jreterabl a from the receiving.

platform onto-the runway down which said 'cakes travel during. the scoring operation.

A machine of. the kind above described can i be built forl airafctionot the costof` the conventionaliceiv scoring apparat-us, now generally used in vice plants, it can Vloe opera-ted at a 4 lowcost, due tothe fac-t that the scoring devices are operated by ay heating medium ojf which there is always an ample supply available in an ice plant; it is'o'lisueh simple design that it is not liable to get out oi order when in useandthescoring devices of the machine do vnotyrequire. constantattent-icn like saws, to

keep tliemin an operative-condition.

Having thus describedV our invention,v

what we claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United. States is:

l. AnA apparatus for scoring ice, comprising a heated scoring' device or` gradually in- Y creasing depth'or'height that is adapted to be engaged with the ice, and means for producingrelatively longitudinal movementbetween the ice andsaid device.

2. An apparatus for scoring ice provided with a scoring device, consisting oi a hollow structure that contains a `heating medium, and anice engagingfblade projecting beyond the exterior of said hollow structure and coinbinedivith these-nie in such away that a portionA of said blade is located inside of said structurein direct. contact with the heating medium in saine, whereby heat willfbe oliectivcly transmitted to the projectingl portion ot the blade that enters ,the ice during the scoring operation. n Y

3. An apparatus lor scoring cakes oi ice, comprising a plurality of heated scoring devices arraneedin parallel relation,and means i'or `feeding cakes oit ice longitudinally of said devices inrcontact with the same so as to cause said devices to form grooves in the cakes. l

4. An ice scoring machine, comprising a runway over which4 cakes of ice are adapted to loe moved, and groups of heated scoring.

adapted to travel, scoring devices arranged parallel to said rails and adapted to act on opposed aces oil; the cakes, and means ttor .heatingsaid devices.

7. An ice scoring machine, comprising a. downwardly4inclined runway vthrough which cakes of ice are adapted to travel by gravity,k

groups ot heatcdscoring devices arranged longitudinally of said yrunway itA the upper andlowei sides oi same, andmca s for maintaining the cakes in a uniform position while they are traveling down said runway towards said scoring devices.

Bieren L. rain. wiLLiiiM n.Y caovvnLL.v 

